Manila, April 23 -- Deputy Speaker and Cebu 5th District Rep. Vincent Franco "Duke" Frasco on Tuesday pushed for the acquisition of firefighting choppers amid a sudden surge of fire incidents.

Frasco has filed House Resolution (HR) 1686 urging the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to include in their proposed 2025 budget the purchase of firefighting helicopters.

Fire cases increased by 25 percent this year in the first two months alone.

He said a highly effective approach such as aerial firefighting is badly needed for faster and more efficient fire suppression operations.

"For the past years, fire incidents have become a big problem in the Philippines. Among the most common cha...